Pea, Pancetta Risotto and Scallops

Risotto is a favorite thing of mine to make. Just like pasta, there are so many ingredients you can use to change it up. If you have never made risotto before, don’t let anyone scare you out of it – it’s not that hard! You do need to commit to about 35 minutes of cooking time though. Lots of stirring. If you have a kitchen partner it’s nice to take turns sometimes. This time I decided a pea and pancetta addition sounded nice and serving with scallops helps lighten up the dish a little for the hot summer we are experiencing now.

Start this one by gathering all of your ingredients and kitchen tools together. I like to use a dutch oven for my risotto and a non-stick pan for my scallops. My current favorite non-stick pans are the zwiling – I purchased from Crate and Barrel and absolutely love them! I have a favorite wooden stirring spoon (bambu) and you will also need a spatula or tongs to flip your scallops. And you need a measuring cup or something to scoop broth into your rice.

Finely chop about 1/2 of a large yellow onion. I prefer the vidalia onions when they are in season. And in case your mother never taught you how to pick out an onion, you want to find one that is flat on the top and bottom. See picture below. The onion on the bottom is perfect!

Next, in a separate sauce pan, heat together approx 32 oz of broth (beef, vegetable or chicken all work or you can even use a chicken bone broth) and about one cup of water. I say 32oz because that is the size of the boxes I buy. Let it come to a simmer, but not boiling and keep it warm.

Next, add olive oil to your dutch oven, about 2 tablespoons and a dash of cracked black pepper and cook your onion until soft. Add in your Arborio Rice. I used about 2 cups. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of your broth mixture and add to your rice. Stir together well. Cook until the liquid is almost fully absorbed, stir constantly. Add the remaining broth mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting each time for the broth to absorb. This takes approx 30 minutes. Once you have used up all of your broth – your rice should be just about cooked to the perfect fluffy texture, but typically needs just a little extra moisture. I like to add about a cup of dry white wine. It adds a little acidity as well. This is also where I add my peas and pancetta. I used frozen this time as we are past their season and I just threw in the frozen peas. I used about 1.5 cups. Then I hand pulled my pancetta into pieces and added into the mixture. You can use however much you want here! Stir together until well mixed and the peas are heated (since I used frozen).

Lastly, I add about 1 tablespoon of plain old butter (non-salted) and some shredded Parmesan cheese. I just grate it right into the rice mixture and I sure love cheese so I’ve been known to use a lot. I’d say 3 ounces sounds good at this point. Once you have that all stirred together you should have a fluffy, sticky texture like this..

If you are fortunate enough to have a helper in the kitchen like I usually am, I would have them stir toward the end so you can prep your scallops. However, if not, just turn your dutch oven down to low and place the lid on while you make your scallops. You will want to serve them all right away to keep the temperature and texture perfect!

Fresh scallops are always the best, in my opinion, but if you have frozen that works too. Just make sure to thaw them in the refrigerator right before using. Pat your scallops dry and sprinkle the top with a dash of salt and pepper. Heat your non-stick pan to a medium-high heat. Add your scallops to the pan being careful not to overcrowd. You may need to cook them in batches. Leave them on the heat for 3 minutes before flipping over. They should have a beautiful golden color when you flip. Cook for another 2 minutes and remove from then pan.

This time I mixed together equal parts honey and balsamic vinegar and drizzled over the top. Nice touch of sweet and acid to balance out our creamy risotto. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!